Feigen: A rowdy reception in Taipei after Lin comes off bench in Manila

TAIPEI, Taiwan — By the time the Rockets made their way through customs, most had heard the shouts coming from the other side of those walls and down the halls.

It was nearly 4 a.m. in Taipei. Most were moving slowly, with another hour of travel waiting before the hotel arrival. But then one-by-one, as the Rockets and every member of the very large traveling party reached that corridor and the walk to the busses, they were greeted with shouts and screams and well-wishes from the hundreds that came out to the airports because the Rockets, and particularly Jeremy Lin, were in town.

There were fans in Lin uniforms, including the Rockets’ striped pajamas uniforms that he never wore. There were signs and banners. There was a poster with Lin holding two giant hamburgers on his shoulders for reasons that were not apparent, though he is a Californian and is in the NBA so he probably loves In N’ Out.

Mostly though, after the screams there were shouts.

“Welcome!”

“Ni Hao!!”

“Jonathan!”

I don’t know how that last one got in there. I can only assume that these people were so happy to see anyone connected with Houston they would have cheered Matt Schaub.

Back in Manila, things were more sedate, with fans content to finally just observe the NBA in their town, though there were other Lin fans that made themselves heard.

For all the times we all said that the Rockets’ game in Manila meant everything to those that finally got to see NBA basketball in person, ending a six-decade wait for a nation of hoopheads, there was another group to whom the game meant at least as much that just did not get the same sort of attention.

Lin fanatics were outraged. This was unthinkable. Unforgivable.

Lin came off the bench. He played very well. He played a lot by preseason standards. But when the names of the starters were bellowed to the crowd, Lin’s was not mentioned.

The good people of Manila seemed to take this stunning event in stride. They were good natured and entertained, watching the game intently, almost studiously.

There was a rise in the excitement level when Lin had the ball, but there seemed to be little quarrel with the lineup change in the arena. Rockets coach Kevin McHale said after the game that he intended to rotate Lin and Patrick Beverley in the preseason starting lineups, with both having shown a good deal so far. But there were some that thought it was unthinkable that one of the point guards should have to come off the bench, as if that was all that mattered on a night in which having the game played at all was far, far more significant than who started it.

Both point guards played well, showcasing their strengths. In many ways, that might be where McHale chooses a starter. Lin is the better offensive player, Beverley the better defender. Either could start effectively, but the decision on a starter could come down to what McHale needs most off the bench, Lin’s aggressive, attacking offense or Beverley’s tight, irritating defense.

Do the Rockets need a jolt of scoring or of defense off the bench?

It might not be that simple. As with our discussion of the power forward decision, the most important consideration will likely be about the combinations on the court. Lin’s attacking style on pick-and-roll suits Dwight Howard well. He pushed the break extremely well last season – helping make the Rockets the second-fastest offense in the league – but has seemed even better on the run this season.

It can, however, be extremely valuable to have Beverley’s ball pressure on opposing point guards from the tip. And as the better scorer, Lin would have to defer less often off the bench.

The other consideration that could come into play might be Lin’s potential as a backup shooting guard. Even if he came off the bench, he could play 24 to 36 minutes if he added that to his point guard duties and be an option to finish games whether he starts them or not.

That’s still to be determined, as is pretty much everything. Francisco Garcia and Reggie Williams, options for the backup shooting guard minutes, were out with groin injuries. It’s way too early to reach conclusions with them out, to say nothing of the absence of Omer Asik, who looks more irreplaceable every time Howard sits and anyone else plays center.

Then again, it’s way too early to be so worked up about a preseason rotation or a meaningless game – unless you have waited six decades to see it or a lifetime to see Jeremy Lin play in Taipei.